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Gun Safe Explodes

P

Phil1

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 3, 2009
465
7
Minot N.D.
http://magicvalley.com/news/local/burley...19bb2963f4.html

BURLEY •

An Idaho state representative’s wife was injured Saturday after a room converted to a gun safe exploded at her home.

Amy Wood, wife of Rep. Fred Wood, R-Burley, was taken by air ambulance to an unspecified Utah hospital suffering from second-degree burns to her face and hands.

Fred Wood received minor injuries, according to House Assistant Majority Leader Scott Bedke, R-Oakley.

The incident occurred at 8:11 p.m., according to Burley Fire Chief Keith Martin. On Saturday evening, Martin said the owners of the home at 100 S. 147 E. were eating dinner when “they heard a sound like a 747 coming from the basement.”

Martin said an explosion from a room that was converted to a gun safe lifted up the patio slab at the back of the home and collapsed the patio roof. Martin said the patio slab appeared to be the roof of the gun safe room. Amy Wood was on the patio when the explosion occurred. The cause of the explosion is unknown at this time.

On Saturday, Martin said state inspectors will arrive Sunday to investigate the scene
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

This could be an interesting story. Water heater? could be. I saw a water heater that blew up from the basement through the first floor and almost into the second floor, came back down and was laying on the couch. MM
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

Ban gun safes. Gunsafes injure people.
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

Sounds more like sloppy reloading practices to me.
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Veer_G</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Sounds more like sloppy reloading practices to me.</div></div>

Bingo.
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

Looking forward to hearing more about this. And this is a seemingly exact example of what I was asking about a few years ago, in a thread regarding powder kept in vaults/safes. Worst case scenario, it'd be a "BLEVE" (or nearly so) to which one would not want the fortification of their vault/safe to be the bomb casing. Right?

I, and others, had a few suggestions and/or ideas out there, but nobody seemed to think the topic was worthy.

I pray that this whole tangent doesn't get blown out of proportion. (couldn't resist, sorry
wink.gif
)
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Veer_G</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Sounds more like sloppy reloading practices to me. </div></div>

It seems like an epic level of sloppiness would be required for an <span style="font-style: italic">unattended</span> reloading setup to go up in this manner.
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Eric Bryant</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Veer_G</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Sounds more like sloppy reloading practices to me. </div></div>

It seems like an epic level of sloppiness would be required for an <span style="font-style: italic">unattended</span> reloading setup to go up in this manner. </div></div>

Agreed, but have we not borne witness to epic, unbelievable things (and characters) otherwise?
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

I can't believe it, 8 posts and no one has called this thread a political statement yet. Guess those people musta went to bed early tonight. Probably just the maid vacuuming up a little gun powda while smoking a stokee.
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

Was it a safe? A gun safe room? A gun room? It's all so very clear!

I instantly concluded it was unsafe reloading habits. There can be no other explanation.


Hmmmm...

My time machine gets pretty erratic sometimes and when I forget to tighten the inverter, it causes the perpetual motion device (I positioned next to it) to get overheated.

Should I not leave my primers, powder cannisters, loaded ammo and hoarded gasoline on top of these machines?

 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

I would think that if it were a reloading incident and had enough power to lift a cement patio to the point of injuring someone who is on top of it, whoever was in that room would not be walking out. My vote is gas and a broken bulb
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Veer_G</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Sounds more like sloppy reloading practices to me. </div></div>Care to explain how that could cause such an explosion?
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

In for the final determination by the Fire Investigators!
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: NativeCraft</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Veer_G</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Sounds more like sloppy reloading practices to me. </div></div>Care to explain how that could cause such an explosion? </div></div>

Are you serious? Given the possible variables in the amount (and type) of powder that might have been there and how it was stored, the possibility of suspension of particulate matter in the air (think mine-type explosion), the quantity of primers, other combustibles, and the size of the room and the quality of the construction of the overlaying patio, who knows?
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

I don't see a few jugs of powder causing an explosion such as that. Maybe they acted as the ignition source for a gas leak, but surely they were not the explosive charge that destroyed a patio....
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sudden Impact</div><div class="ubbcode-body">In for the final determination by the Fire Investigators! </div></div>

+1 There are too many unknowns and variables to make any reasonable conclusion without an investigation.
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

Hello... the story says <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> “they heard a sound like a 747 coming from the basement.”</div></div>

Seems pretty clear that there is a high probability that the 747 they kept down there was trying to get out!
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> http://www.nwcn.com/home/?fId=172330141&fPath=/news/local&fDomain=10222

The blast sent Representative Fred Wood's wife to a burn center in Salt Lake City on Saturday night.

Burley Fire Chief Keith Martin believes a gun room below Fred and Amy Wood's house exploded after rags with gun cleaning chemicals on them sat in a garbage bin and slowly produced enough heat to ignite on fire.

“He cleaned his guns, and we are thinking maybe the cleaning solvent and the rags that he used sat there over the week and slowly generated enough heat, where it finally spontaneously combusted,” said Chief Martin.

Martin said Wood was hunting just a week prior to the explosion.

KTVB spoke with Representative Wood by phone from Salt Lake City on Monday
Wood said he heard a noise before the explosion, and went downstairs to the gun room to investigate.
Fire officials had previously said Wood could feel pressure against the door and decided not to open it, which was good--because moments later it exploded.
Amy Wood was upstairs above where the room is, out near the home's back patio. The blast didn’t injure Fred Wood, but Amy was hit.

“The resulting flames are what engulfed his wife, and she was standing on the back patio, luckily not on that piece of concrete that actually moved, otherwise she could have been seriously injured,” said Martin. </div></div>

I've heard of rags with stuff that "polymerizes", such as boiled linseed oil, can get very hot as the product dries, but never typical gun cleaning solvents. Any chemists out there care to chime in?
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes


by Andrea Lutz

KREM.com

Posted on October 2, 2012 at 11:38 AM

Gallery

See all 20 photos »

BURLEY, Idaho -- Fire officials believe it was spontaneous combustion that made a gun room explode at the home of an Idaho state lawmaker last weekend.

The blast sent Representative Fred Wood's wife to a burn center in Salt Lake City on Saturday night.

Burley Fire Chief Keith Martin believes a gun room below Fred and Amy Wood's house exploded after rags with gun cleaning chemicals on them sat in a garbage bin and slowly produced enough heat to ignite on fire.

“He cleaned his guns, and we are thinking maybe the cleaning solvent and the rags that he used sat there over the week and slowly generated enough heat, where it finally spontaneously combusted,” said Chief Martin.

Martin said Wood was hunting just a week prior to the explosion.

REPRESENTATIVE WOOD TALKS TO KTVB

KTVB spoke with Representative Wood by phone from Salt Lake City on Monday

Wood said he heard a noise before the explosion, and went downstairs to the gun room to investigate.
Fire officials had previously said Wood could feel pressure against the door and decided not to open it, which was good--because moments later it exploded.

Amy Wood was upstairs above where the room is, out near the home's back patio. The blast didn’t injure Fred Wood, but Amy was hit.

“The resulting flames are what engulfed his wife, and she was standing on the back patio, luckily not on that piece of concrete that actually moved, otherwise she could have been seriously injured,” said Martin.

Martin added, “She had some possible second degree burns on her arms, her face, and when he went out back after the explosion, her hair was on fire,” said Chief Martin.

Martin said Wood called for help right away.

It was a bizarre incident according to Representative Wood, who says he's been living in that home for 30 years.

He said the room served as a secure spot for many family valuables, and not just guns. Wood told KTVB he had no explanation for the blast.

SAFETY AND FIREARMS

“I don't know the circumstances of which this accident occurred. I only know that we always have to think safety first,” said Karl Miller with Boise Gun Company.

Miller did not want to speculate on what could have caused the blast at the home of the Woods, but said any kind of event like this can serve as a reminder that all gun users should remember their simple safety tips.

“You are never going to want to use any kind of flammable materials around any kind of heat source,” explained Miller.

He said nowadays, most cleaning materials dry relatively fast.

“And make sure that there is plenty of air there is no enclosed area,” he said.

Representative Wood said his biggest message for now, was to thank all the citizens of Idaho for their support for his family through this tough time. He assured his wife is doing well, but was not sure how long her recovery would take.

Fire Chief Martin also said the investigation from the State Fire Marshall could take a month or two before its complete

http://www.krem.com/news/local/Idaho-law...172330141.html#
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

I'm glad to hear that the investigation continues. While digging through ashes and debris cannot be easy, statements from professionals such as "we are thinking maybe...." sure can lead to disaster from the decisionmakers.

I will also state, that any rag that I use with oil or solvent does NOT get bunched up and put anywhere. It is left out, wide-open-flat and hanging off of something. That way, there is NO dead air space for heat to build up. AND, volatiles can evaporate off at their leisure.

Keeping flame/spark/ignition sources away from the man-cave is just simple logic, from there.
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

Firearms don't kill people. Gun cleaning products try to.
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: queequeg</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Hello... the story says <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> “they heard a sound like a 747 coming from the basement.”</div></div>

Seems pretty clear that there is a high probability that the 747 they kept down there was trying to get out! </div></div>

LOL, you beat me to it.
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

Coincidentally...

I had to machine some Walnut doors today that have been on site at the building in question since the late 70s. The finish on the doors is linseed and frankly, I wonder why they didn't just pop for new doors as the cost of modifying the machining from the older style mortise passage sets to the newer, larger ones (Sargent), is pretty steep! These doors were not attic stock but have been in use in the building for many years. and some of them would look better in a dumpster, but I digress!

The Project Manager wondered why Linseed wasn't used anymore and was surprised when I told him the finish is still available but the risks of fire from the rags has put a damper on commercial construction uses.

Tung oil rags are similarly in need of caution when finished.

Regarding the story in Idaho, I hope Mrs. Wood recovers quickly.

200608101348540.8200.jpg
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

cleaning is so overrated. Glad to know the injuries were mild, property can be rebuilt, repaired, replaced.
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: strat81</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I've heard of rags with stuff that "polymerizes", such as boiled linseed oil, can get very hot as the product dries, but never typical gun cleaning solvents. Any chemists out there care to chime in? </div></div>
Oh heck yes! I had some rags and paper towels saturated with linseed oil once catch fire in my truck, under the roll-top bed cover. Came out of a Sam's Club and there were folks gathered around it pointing at the smoke coming out...when I dropped the tailgate, it burst into flames. I was able to put it out with the giant-size Coke I'd just purchased on my way out the door, though.
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

Dryerlint can also spontaneously combust if its left in the sunlight..
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

Guys there is a reason oily rags need to be stored in a safety can, approved for oily waste. They can and do spontaneously combust.

We had a garage catch fire once as a kid, I found the fire, it was a small pile of flaming rags, in a garage with no source of ignition, ie, no electricity, no appliances. In the time it took for me to run 20 yards to the house, yell for yelp and grab a soda water extinguisher ( that big old brass type ), the whole back of the garage was in flames. The extinguisher and a hose were no match for the old wood.

Got no trouble believing that could start a fire in a gun room. Thinking I left some oily rags on the lathe this last weekend...
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mikee Booshay</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Guys there is a reason oily rags need to be stored in a safety can, approved for oily waste. </div></div>

Please provide link/details on appropriate storage can! I can think of many times I would clean guns in a hotel bathroom without ventilation, toss patches & rags in the bathroom trash can, crank the heat up at night and even use a curling iron or flat iron in the am...Especially as temperatures go down more & more cleaning is done inside.

I don't consider this woman's injuries so "mild" - prayers out to her for a speedy recovery.
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: KYpatriot</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Off to go check on my gun rags.... </div></div>

ditto...
is your typical rem-oil and such just as bad?
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

In wood shop in High School it was told to us over and over to take any rags with any finishing oil on them to a special can outside the shop area and the Teacher would take care of them. I have never had any fires start from rags but have had friends tell me it happened to them. MM
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: UKDslayer</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mikee Booshay</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Guys there is a reason oily rags need to be stored in a safety can, approved for oily waste. </div></div>

Please provide link/details on appropriate storage can!</div></div>

Other sizes are at the bottom of the page.

http://www.amazon.com/Justrite-Galvanized-Safety-Gallons-Capacity/dp/B001DSKBXE
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

I actually live in the same town as this, heard a lot of different things from a lot of different people. Not to many legitimate answers though.
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

The product chemicals that make up the oils, lubricants, and cleaners that we use contain a myrida wealth of natural occuring NH4's(ammonium ions), H2's, and O2's(Hydrogens and Oxygens). Add to these the natural occuring chains of benzene or other petrolium based chains and the reactive process will make it's own reaction of acid/base competing reactions. The NH4/3's attract OH(Hydroxide) and the H2 ions move toward and attach to Cl's(Chlorine), N's(Nitrogen), COOH's(the carbon and hydrogen added to teh fron of this creates Acetate) etc to form acids.
All these reactions form heat. Heat forms smoke, then flame.
There are of course spectator ions and chemicals as well as other chains that do not contribute to the ion level reaction. There are also, though, ions that enhance the reactive ions(the pre chained OH's and Cl's.
Place all this into a common location where they can mix together as they gas out, and no wonder things 'just spontaneously combust' for no reason. Duh! You have placed everthing there to cause a nice mix and with the benzenes, acids and bases formed, you have a nice fire just waiting to start with the perfectly formed stand off accelerant fuel
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

Just like large stacks of hay left in a field for a long time, they to will erupt in fire if the conditions are right. MM
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

Don't you just hate it when your WWII land & sea mines go all hokey on you and blow up
 
Re: Gun Safe Explodes

hay and landmines, simple reactions deferred over time of fermantation yielding both acid and base compounds that self involve and give heat and flame as results of the reaction making CO2, NO, NO2, CO, and Carbon, among other Chalcagen and Halide gas mixes
 
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